Random Notes from Today

1. Rachael Ray broadcasts in Kosovo. She's subtitled in Macedonian. From time to time I come across Oprah, too. I think the channel that had Gilmore Girls, Will and Grace and Friends has been taken off the air. Usually I just have the tv turned to EuroNews or CNN (oh...what I wouldn't give for BBC, but I'd probably tire of that, too).

2. I've been cooking all this week, and it's been nice. Monday: French bread pizza. I bought a loaf, split it in half, and scooped out a lot of the innards. I then smothered on each half a paste made from baked eggplant, cumin, garlic, tumeric, and tomato paste. On top of that went some green peppers and ementaler cheese. After the whole thing sat in the oven for 10 minutes, I topped it off with fresh tomatoes and grated carrots. Yum.

Tuesday night had me craving burgers. Last week I went to a local place called British Burger. They had the best burgers I've found so far in Kosovo (complete with fried egg), but I knew deep down inside that I could do better. And I did. I went to the butcher, got meat straight out of the grinder, made a fat patty out of it, cooked it, topped it with bleu cheese and purple onions and smothered the toasted-in-the-oven-and-almost-burnt bun with ajvar (a condiment paste made from roasted/fried eggplants, peppers, onions, and tomatoes). I added a side of frozen peas (that I had heated up) and it felt very American (except for the ajvar...that just made the whole thing very good).

And then last night I had a quickie meal of spinach & ricotta tortellini (straight from the bag) with pesto, grated carrot, and fresh tomatoes.

I'm on a grated carrot kick. It's good.

Tonight I'm debating between canneloni and individual faux lasagnes (a layered dish made with lasagne fixings, but instead of noodles, I'll use polenta and make individual servings in muffin tins). I haven't decided yet.

3. I received a piece of election junk mail from the WCSD-1 Campaign Steering Committee Chairs Phil and Jennifer Satre (about a ballot question dealing with Washoe County School District). I detest junk mail. That I've received junk mail in Kosovo just pisses me off. However, it means my address is viable and that I should be receiving my absentee ballot. As a side note, I've been down to the post office four times to make sure that if I receive any boxes they should just hold them and not return them to sender (which has happened). I think I'll pop down later today to see if anything has arrived. I get junk mail but I don't always get the stuff that I actually want. Yeesh.

4. I had a number four, too, but the junk mail issue has thrown me off a bit (I get rather irritated thinking about it). Such is life.